ABILENE – Shane Selman collected four hits, Mitchell Rogers three and four other players with two hits as the McNeese Cowboys slugged out 19 total hits in an 18-5 win over Abilene Christian on Saturday to win the weekend series over the Wildcats.
 
The win improved McNeese to 22-9 on the season and 12-2 in Southland Conference play while ACU dropped its 11^th straight game, falling to 9-18 overall and 1-13 in the league.
 
Starting pitcher Rhett Deaton stayed perfect on the year, improving to 5-0 on the season after throwing five innings of work and allowing four runs.
 
Three pitchers out of the bullpen – Peyton McLemore, Mason Mize and Austin Briggs – combined to throw four innings of one run, four hit ball to keep the Wildcats from mounting any type of rally.
 
"Rhett did a good job of pitching with a lead today," said head coach Justin Hill. "They (ACU) are a very aggressive offense who can score runs in bunches. He did a good job to get us to the bullpen."
 
For the second straight game, lead-off batter Robbie Podorsky set the tone by reaching on a walk to start the game. He stole second base, advanced to third on an error, then scored on a Rickey Ramirez fielder's choice, giving the Cowboys a 1-0 lead. Ramirez later scored on a RBI single by Joe Provenzano to put the Cowboys up 2-0 early.
 
McNeese added two more in the second inning when Rogers, who led off the frame with a single, scored on an error by ACU third baseman Russell Crippen that allowed Podorsy to reach base. Podorsky would come around to score on a Brett Whelton groundout to make it 4-0.
 
The  Cowboys made it 5-0 in the third on a RBI single by Jake Cochran before the Wildcats were able to get on the board with a run in the bottom of the third.
 
ACU closed the gap to 5-3 with two runs in the fourth but Matt Gallier's bases loaded double in the fifth inning cleared the bases to put the Cowboys up 9-3.
 
Will Fox slapped a three-run home run in the sixth, hit a triple in the ninth then scored on a two-run homer by Jacob Stracner to make it a 16-5 game. Four batters later, Joe Provenzano connected on his fourth home run of the season with a two-run bomb to make it 18-5.
 
"Our guys played hard from the first pitch to the last and made every at-bat count," said Hill.
 
Four hitters – Ramirez, Gallier, Provenzano and Fox – each knocked in three runs for a total of 12 among the four.
 
Selman ended the day 4-for-7 from the plate while Rogers added a 3-for-4 game with three RBI. Ramirez, Provenzano, Cochran and Fox each had two hits as every player in the lineup collected at least one hit.
 
ACU starting pitcher Drew Hanson (2-3) took the loss after he allowed five runs in 2 2/3 innings. The Wildcats recorded 13 hits in the game led by Cole Solomon and Bradley Lewis with three hits each.
 
McNeese will go for the sweep on Sunday with a 1 o'clock first pitch.
 
The game will be carried on the McNeese Radio Network.